GOLD
by gizmo16x
Summary: RWBY and JNPR aren't the only team in Beacon. Follow the exploits of team GOLD as they begin their time at Beacon Academy. Rated T for slight language and some violence.
1. Chapter 1: Admission

I sit in a room with a single light, which flickers occasionally and gives the room a rather eerie feeling. As the door opens and a man with black clothes and silver hair steps through, I stand up from the metal chair and go to salute, but the man waves his hand for me to stop. In his other is a mug of coffee, which he drinks from before speaking.

"You're not being court-martialed," he smiles as he pulls out a file, presumably about me, "No need for salutes."

"Sorry, sir," I say as I sit back down, "Force of habit. Military schools do that to you."

"Well, on that note, let's take a look at your record. Galen Freeman, just graduated top of your class at Mistral Armed Forces Academy, made it to the finals in the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row, at which point Pyrrha Nikos beat you after a very prolonged and heated battle each time. Pyrrha is actually another applicant to my school, so I hope your losses haven't left you bitter."

"No, Professor Ozpin, I'm actually good friends with her. I believe that every loss is a chance to learn, improve, and overcome. That, and our families are friends and I've known her since I was a child."

"Interesting. Tell me, why did you decide to apply to Beacon instead of going straight into the military?"

"Being a Hunter is the best way I can think of to help people and become the best fighter I can. The military is mostly doing riot control right now, not really much useful. Monsters are a constant threat, and we'll always need people to fight them. I'm confident that I can be one of those people. Besides, I was born with a warrior's instincts, so I might as well use them."

"I see. Well... I certainly don't see any reason to not let you in, so welcome to Beacon."

"Thank you, Professor," I say as we stand up and shake hands, "I don't plan to disappoint."

A few days later I'm on an airship heading to Beacon. I lean against the wall, cross my arms, and look around at the others. Everyone is talking except for one girl, who's sitting in a corner reading a book. I walk over and stand next to her, taking a look at the title.

"Hey, I liked that book," I say, surprising her.

"You've read it?"

"Yeah, I actually finished it just last night. I liked how it subtly compared his struggle to everyday moral decisions. It really makes you think, you know?"

"Yeah."

"By the way, I'm Galen."

"Blake. Would you happen to be related to the Freeman Firearms Company?"

"Yeah, my parents own it."

"Oh, then I'm sure you've heard about that scandal last year."

"The one with the faulty parts being covered up? I was the one who first brought that out! I found one while designing my weapons, and after a bit of investigation I went to the cops. I'm just lucky I found out before someone got injured, or worse."

"Wow. I don't imagine your family took that too well."

"Well, my mom was the same old profit-first ice queen, but my dad was ecstatic. He actually paid my full tuition so I wouldn't have to join the military."

"You were at a military school?"

"Mistral Armed Forces Academy. I'd be in boot camp right now if Dad hadn't made that offer. Well, I've taken enough of your time, I'll leave you to your book now. Good luck."

"Thanks, you too."

I walk away and take another look at the crowd, noticing a boy my age with blond hair who looks like he's about to throw up.

"Hey, blond guy! There's a trash can over here!"

He rushes over to me as I nudge the trash can closer with my foot. He barely makes it before his breakfast makes an unwanted reappearance. After a few moments he regains his composure, stands up, and looks at me.

"Thanks for that. I'm Jaune."

"Galen," I say as we shake hands. I notice a sword in a scabbard on his belt. "Nice sword. Judging from the handle, I'd say that's War-era."

"Yeah, it's a hand-me-down."

"Hand-me-down? That thing should be in a gold-plated trophy chest! I have a lot of respect for weapons of all kinds, even simple ones. Doesn't mean I didn't want to design cool high-tech ones for myself."

"You designed your weapons?"

"Yeah." I indicate the metal elbow-length gauntlets I'm wearing, and with a single thought each turns into a pistol. "Meet the Hands of Death. They go from full-hand gauntlets to seven-inch serrated combat knives in a matter of moments. They also turn into high-caliber pistols with ambidextrous fire select switches. There's even an optional suppressor for those times when you just don't feel like dealing with some dude's friends. They have microchips that sense my brainwaves and change to any of the four forms just by my thinking of it. That also means I'm the only one who can use them."

"Uhh..." Jaune is clearly lost, trying to figure out what I just said.

"Basically metal gauntlets that can turn into knives and guns."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I love my weapons. I went for a combination of cool and functional, and I painted them green and black 'cause they're my favorite colors."

"Nice! The only special thing about my weapon is that the scabbard turns into a shield. Not really the coolest of gimmicks."

"Oh, I've heard of those! I always loved that, your defense and your offense can both be in your hand in moments. Judging from the fact that you're headed to Beacon, you must be pretty good with those. Coordinating a sword and a shield takes skill, especially against multiple opponents."

"Uhh... Thanks," Jaune says, rubbing the back of his neck. Just from observing his body language I can tell he isn't the most confident of people, but he has a lot of spirit. Give him some more confidence and he'd probably make a great leader.

"Well," I say, "It's been nice talking to you, but I'm gonna just take a few minutes to make some adjustments on my weapons."

"Okay. Bye."

I walk over to a secluded corner and set down one of my guns. I pull a few tools out of one of my jacket pockets and start making small adjustments to the trigger. I hear rustling from beside me and I look over to see Blake sitting down.

"Hey," she says, and I respond with a nod. We sit in silence as I tinker with my weapon. Every now and then she asks me about a modification I make, and I can tell she takes a mental note of my answer. After a few minutes I put the tools away and convert the gun back into its gauntlet form. I hear footsteps approaching and look up to see Pyrrha walking towards me, followed by Weiss Schnee.

"Pyrrha, Weiss," I say, "Good to see you."

"You know each other?" Pyrrha asks, surprised.

"Yeah," Weiss says, "We met at a party my parents threw a few years back. We've kept in contact and sparred every now and then."

Blake gets up and walks away, and the other two girls watch her leave.

"What's her deal?" Pyrrha asks, slightly offended.

"She's like me," I say, "Quiet unless we're talking about something we're really passionate about."

"Ah. So, why are you here instead of the Mistral military base?"

"I felt I could do more as a Hunter. Besides, after I blew the whistle on that corruption issue, my dad made me an offer to pay my tuition and release me from my service obligation. Although I have to say the board were more agreeable once they learned I was planning to be a Hunter."

"My impression was that the scandal was putting the company under," Weiss says.

"Actually," I say, "People learned that my family had dealt with the issue personally, and a lot of them gained respect for us. They heard that it had been covered up because a recall would have cost a ton of money, and realized that most of our people value customers over money. At first it was a PR nightmare, but after firing and arresting the corrupt people, plus a few weeks' time, it did a complete turnaround. We've actually been getting more business since then. I guess applying morals to your business really helps."

A voice comes on the speakers, cutting off the news report that was droning in the background.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon! I am Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world."

"Well," I say, "Guess that means we're landing soon."

We say our goodbyes and I head to the door, hoping to be one of the first out. As the door opens, I see Jaune running past, clearly about to throw up again. I head over to the luggage pile and pick up my suitcase, then follow the crowd towards the main building.

After a few minutes of walking, I find myself in a large auditorium, which is already mostly full. A few minutes later Professor Ozpin steps onto the stage, walks over to the microphone, and clears his throat.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy - in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As he leaves the stage, a blonde woman steps up to the microphone and says, "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

As I walk to the ballroom, I reflect on what Professor Ozpin said.

"He seem a bit different to you?" Pyrrha asks me, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Yeah," I muse, "Now that you mention it, he did. I wonder what's going on. Probably has something to do with that initiation the blonde lady mentioned."

"You mean Glynda?"

"The same Glynda from that announcement on the airship?"

"Yes. I've met her before, but we were on the other side of a crowd on the airship, so you couldn't see her on the screen."

"Her voice did sound familiar," I say, "So, you want to see what kind of gym they have once we set up our sleeping bags?"

"Sure," she says, "Hold on, what's that sign?" She points to a sign at the entrance to the ballroom. It has a map of the school, which I quickly memorize, with a room marked 'lockers.' There's also a note asking us to deposit our weapons in the lockers.

"Well," I say, "Where there's a locker room, there's a gym. I'll meet you there."

We head into the ballroom and I haul my suitcase over to a corner with a good view of all the windows and exits. I unroll my sleeping bag and toss my pillow down at the head, then put my suitcase at the foot.

I dust my hands off and head to the gym. I happen to reach the locker room at the same time as Pyrrha. We walk into the gym together and take a look around, and I immediately spot a boxing ring.

"You want to spar?" I ask, "I've learned a couple new techniques since last time, you'll love them."

"Sounds good," she grins at me. We walk over to the ring and Pyrra puts down her weapons as I drop my gauntlets on the floor and slide them under the ring. I hop in the ring and stretch out a bit, then turn to face Pyrrha.

"You ready?" she asks as she sinks into a fighting stance.

"Let's go," I say.

We run at each other, and Pyrrha attempts to land a flying right-hand punch. I catch it with my right hand and grab her right shoulder with my left hand, then slam her into the mat. She rolls out from under me and throws a spinning kick, but I dodge it and come in with a right cross. She mimics my earlier move and slams me into the mat. She attempts to drive her heel into my spine but I roll over, catch her foot, and throw her across the ring. We both stand back up, dripping with sweat, looking for an opening.

"You're a quick learner," I say, "Can't say I've had anyone else learn my moves that quickly."

"You're surprised?" she jokes, "It's not like we do this every year or anything."

We circle each other for a few moments, trying to gauge each others' intentions. A small crowd has begun to build up, anxious to see two famous Mistral Regional Tournament competitors in action. Among them is Jaune, and Pyrrha's gaze seems to linger on him. I raise my eyebrows questioningly, only to get a death glare in reply.

Before she can regain her focus, I lunge forward with a roundhouse kick to the torso. She doesn't react in time to block, but she absorbs the force of the blow and uses the momentum to get out of range, then comes in with a flying punch. I roll out of the way, only to receive a knee to the face. I recover and manage to sweep her legs out from under her, putting her on her back. I attempt a curb stomp, but she rolls out of the way, which is exactly what I expected. She stands up, but before she can turn to face me, I catch her in a chokehold, being careful to not put too much force on her neck. She sighs and taps my forearm, signaling her surrender. The entire fight lasted less than a minute and a half. I release her and we shake hands, then head to towel off and collect our gear.

The audience cheers and applauds us, and someone throws a towel to each of us. The crowd abruptly separates to reveal Professor Ozpin walking towards us.

"Impressive," he says as he shakes hands with each of us, "Not many students here have experience with hand-to-hand combat."

"I see it as both fun and necessary," I say, "I've always been very interested and skilled in hand-to-hand, so I thought it was only natural to use my strength to my advantage. It led me to design my weapons the way they are. I got my master's belt years ago, and since then I've been coming up with new techniques and perfecting old ones."

"And he taught me everything I know," Pyrrha says.

"Interesting," Ozpin says, "I understand that you also bring some level of live-fire combat experience to the table as well."

"What's he talking about?" Pyrrha asks, looking at me worriedly.

"Someone sent a group of hit men after me a few years back," I say, "I think it was to try to leverage my dad into a deal. They came after me at least five times, and I beat them down every time."

"What?" Pyrrha says, shocked.

"And on top of that," Ozpin says, "You declined a protective detail every time, saying, and I quote, 'this is something I prefer to do myself.' It was around then that you caught my eye as a potential Beacon candidate."

"You were considering inviting me ahead of my graduation?" I ask, now very surprised.

"Yes," Ozpin says, "Although in the end we decided it would be best if we let you finish up at your current school. We felt you might have more to offer that way."

"Wow," I say, "This is... surprising."

"We also managed to pull a few strings to keep the media away," Ozpin adds, "It's hard to learn when you're being swarmed by cameras."

"Amen to that," Pyrrha says, "I don't know how Weiss has managed with all the pressure she's under."

"That's right," Ozpin muses, "You two are acquainted with Weiss Schnee, aren't you?"

"Yes," I say, "I'm honestly not a fan of a Dust-reliant fighting style. Doesn't leave a lot of options if, or rather when, you run out of juice."

"Yes," Ozpin says, "Many students here seem to lack in adaptability."

Ozpin checks a clock on the wall. "Well," he says, "It's getting late, best you turn in. Big day tomorrow."

"Yes," Pyrrha says, "Good night, Professor Ozpin."

I say good night as well, and Pyrrha and I head back to the lockers. Pyrrha heads over to Weiss and picks a locker near her, while I find a relatively empty area and pick a locker. I memorize the number and lock combination, then place my gauntlets on the top shelf. I close the door and head back to the ballroom, making sure to take note of the rooms I see along the way.

I arrive to see a few people already in their sleeping bags, but most are still milling about. I walk over to my sleeping bag and prop it open. I set my black combat boots next to the suitcase, remove my valuables from my pockets, and throw the rest of my clothing into a compartment separate from my clean clothes. I pull on a pair of sweatpants and lie down on top of my sleeping bag, pulling a magazine out of my suitcase as I do so. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Blake sit down in a chair, light a candle, and open her book up. I smile as a blonde girl drags a small redheaded girl over to Blake, and the two try to start a conversation with her. To my surprise, after a few minutes of awkward attempts, the redhead says something that seems to surprise Blake, who then gets surprisingly involved in the conversation.

I see Weiss enter in her pajamas, and the moment she sees the redhead her eyes light up with anger. Meanwhile, the redhead and the blonde have started to wrestle, causing some people to give them annoyed looks, and others to grin wolfishly. Weiss walks over to them and attempts to silence them, resulting in an argument between her and the blonde. From what I can hear at this distance, Weiss seems to have taken a disliking towards the redhead, who I hear the blonde refer to as 'my sister.' After a couple more words, Blake blows out her candles, removing the room's last light source. I toss my magazine into my suitcase and roll on to my side, quickly fading in to a deep sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: Initiation

I wake up to groans as some of the very early risers try to rouse the other students. I look around to note that the sun is just barely beginning to rise. I never could understand how people could be so energetic so early - one orange-haired girl is already dressed, and is singing and dancing around a boy with black hair and green clothes. Another student, thinking I'm still asleep, throws a half-hearted kick at me. To his evident surprise, I catch his foot and glare at him.

"Don't," I say, my death glare giving him more than enough reason to comply.

He takes the hint and walks away as I stand and stretch, then turn to my suitcase. I pull out a pair of black cargo pants and a forest green skin-tight t-shirt and head into the bathroom to shower.

As I emerge from the shower and wrap a towel around my waist, I take a moment to look in the mirror. My short black hair is matted down with water, almost covering my dark green eyes. I'm not extremely muscled, but I'm muscled enough to show that I exercise intensely and regularly. I'm a bit shorter than most others my age, but I more than make up for it with my strength, speed, and intelligence. I quickly dry off, shave, and brush my teeth, then put on my clothes and head back out to the ballroom. I slip my wallet, phone, and other valuables into my pockets, then put on my watch and boots and head down to the dining hall.

There's a large selection of foods and drinks in the dining hall, but I simply grab two bottles of water and sit down at a table. I take a packet of powder out of my pocket and dump it in one bottle, then shake it for a few moments. I quickly drain the two bottles, then head down to the locker room and make my way to my locker. I put on my gauntlets and run a final check to make sure everything works as the intercom system crackles to life.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation?" Glynda Goodwitch says, "Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

I crack my neck and head out, finding my way through the winding hallways of the school without too much trouble. I soon find myself on Beacon Cliff, where Professor Ozpin and Glynda are waiting. Some other students are already there, and I follow their lead and stand on one of the tiles on the ground. More and more students begin to arrive, and soon all the tiles are occupied. Professor Ozpin turns to the students.

"For years," he says, "You have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Glynda looks up from her scroll, "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin resumes, "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years. After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die. You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions? Good! Now, take your positions."

I look to my left to see the first person in line get launched into the air, assisted by the tile. I take a few deep breaths, using my few moments of preparation time to mentally note a couple of landmarks nearby. I crouch down moments before the tile shoots up, sending me flying towards the forest.

I yell with adrenaline as I soar over the forest, watching as others begin to descend around me. I rapidly approach the ground until I hit, and I roll to absorb the force. I stop in a crouch, with my right knee and fist against the ground. When I stand up, I notice a very well-hidden teacher in the foliage, and give him a two-fingered salute as I head off towards the temple. He jumps a bit, clearly surprised that I not only knew he was in the area, but was able to see him as well. I use the sun to find north, then start jogging, hoping to reach the temple soon.

I jog for about ten minutes before I hear some Beowolves howling. I sprint towards the sounds, and find myself looking over the remains of a small pack of Beowolves. In the middle of the clearing is a girl in a black tunic with a hood and mask covering the entirety of her head and face. She pulls a pair of knives out of a nearby Beowolf's neck and sheathes them, then picks up a black compound bow, and it folds up to the point that she can easily hook it on her belt. She begins plucking arrows out of the dead Beowolves, cleaning off the intact ones before dropping them in the quiver on her back.

She nods in acknowledgement, and I do so as well. We wordlessly begin walking towards the temple, and continue in silence for most of the walk.

"I'm surprised. Most people would be talking my ear off by now."

"I know a fellow introvert when I see one. I'm actually glad we're both quiet, it's so hard to get space nowadays."

"Yeah. I'm Dawn."

"Galen."

Suddenly, a loud roar pierces the air from behind me, and I turn to see three Ursa barreling through the trees towards us.

"Get back!" I yell as I convert my gauntlets to their pistol forms. I aim at the lead Ursa and open fire, several rounds slamming into it. The Ursa roars, but two more shots from each pistol send it flopping backwards, dead. The second swipes at me, but I dodge and punch it in the gut. It doubles over, and I take the opportunity to fire at its face on full-auto, bringing the beast down. The third Ursa charges me, but I roll out of the way and leap onto its back as I convert my right gun to its knife form. I plunge the knife into the Ursa's back, using it to hold on as I fire my other weapon into the creature on full auto. After several seconds of sustained fire, it finally falls over, and I put two rounds in its head to make sure it won't get back up. I stand up and turn to Dawn, who looks at me approvingly.

"Nice moves," she says.

"Thanks," I say, "Let's keep moving."

We run towards the temple, vaulting over the occasional fallen tree or large boulder. When we finally reach it, I'm surprised to notice that Dawn isn't winded like most people would be. We walk into the stone structure, looking at the pedestals that are in a semicircle around us.

"Chess pieces?" I say, looking at the 'relics.'

"What," Dawn says, "You expected them to be actual relics?"

"Nah," I say, "I just didn't expect oversized chess pieces, of all things."

"Let's grab one," she says as she goes to check the perimeter. I nod and grab a black knight, sliding it into one of my many pockets.

"Got it," I say as I jog over, "Let's head home."

I hear rustling from some of the bushes, and hold up one fist, converting the gauntlet on my other hand. dawn freezes, eyes scanning the area. A pair of students walk out of the foliage, chatting amicably. One is a boy with medium-length brown hair and red eyes, wearing brown robes over a red shirt, jeans, and red sneakers. The other is a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing some kind of light armor that's painted pink. They notice us standing in the clearing and are momentarily surprised.

"Uh... hi," the boy says, "I'm Fred. Is this where we're supposed to be?"

"Yeah," I say, "The 'relics' are over there."

"Thanks," says the girl, "I'm Oda, by the way."

"We're set," Fred says, pocketing a black knight piece.

"Let's head back to the cliffs together," I say, "Safety in numbers, right?"

"Yeah," Fred says, "Good idea. We saw evidence of at least one Death Stalker a while back, so it's best we be careful."

"A Death Stalker?" I ask, "Are we equipped to take one of those out?"

"I've got a staff," Fred says, "And Oda has broadswords that are shotguns."

"I guess we'll have to deal," I say.

Our newly-formed group starts walking, and I occasionally spin and walk backwards for a few moments to check behind us. We proceed in silence until we reach another clearing, holding something that makes my blood run cold. A sleeping Death Stalker is in a small cave at the edge of the clearing, having just finished feasting on what appears to have been a few deer.

"Keep quiet," I whisper to the others, "We should be able to sneak around it."

Just then, a lone Beowolf charges through the trees at us. Dawn draws her bow and shoots it in the neck, but not before it lets out a loud howl.

"Ah, crap," Fred says as we turn to see the Death Stalker waking up. It spots us and advances, clicking its claws.

"RUN!" I yell, and the four of us sprint through the trees. At one point Dawn disappears into the branches of the trees above us. Arrows begin hitting the Death Stalker at random intervals, distracting it and forcing it to slow down. One particularly well-aimed arrow flies into one of the Death Stalker's eyes, causing it to give out a loud hiss. Eventually we lose sight of it, but we can hear it still following us.

We reach another clearing, this one large enough that we should be able to fight the Death Stalker easily. We make it to the other side of the clearing and turn to face the oncoming monster as Dawn drops out of the trees and lands next to us.

"Everyone get ready," I say as I convert my gauntlets and flick the fire select to full auto.

Fred reaches behind his back and pulls out a short stick, which expands into a full-length steel quarter-staff. Oda pulls out her broadswords, the blades opening up to reveal two barrels on each weapon. Dawn nocks an arrow and draws the string back, lining up a shot.

"Here's the plan," I say, "Fred and I will distract it, try to keep its attention on us. Dawn, you try to take out some of its eyes, that'll make it easier. If we're lucky we may be able to cut off a leg or two. If I remember right those things are vulnerable to blunt weapons, but we don't have anything other than Fred's staff and my gauntlets."

"We could try to knock some trees down on top of it," Dawn suggests.

"Good idea," I say, "We'll have to draw it to the edge of the clearing and cut some of its legs off so it can't move out of the way. If Fred and I can draw its attention, Oda could come in from behind and start chopping."

The Death Stalker storms into the clearing and charges at us, cutting short our conversation.

"GO!" I yell, unloading at the giant scorpion. Fred starts hurling fireballs at it, causing it to raise its claws, but it keeps advancing.

Oda runs at the monster almost faster than I can see. Before it can react, she slices off one of its legs, causing it to hiss furiously. It attempts to pin her down with its stinger, but she's much faster. By the time the stinger hits the ground, the Death Stalker is missing another leg. This time, instead of using its stinger, it swipes one claw horizontally, in an attempt to flatten her. She dodges as an arrow comes out of the trees and lands in one of the Death Stalker's eyes. Dawn drops from a tree and lands on the Grimm's head, planting her daggers in one of its eyes. It roars and starts lashing out blindly, almost crushing Oda. A ball of ice, courtesy of Fred, hits the stinger and expands, freezing it to the ground. As the Death Stalker begins to chip at the ice with its claws, I decide to take advantage of the opening.

"Get back!" I yell as I charge forward, converting my guns to their gauntlet forms. The Death Stalker sees me coming and attempts to hit me with a claw, but I catch it with both hands. I twist sideways and pull, ripping the entire limb out of its socket. I drop the claw and switch to my pistols, then jam them into the newly-made hole and start firing. The Death Stalker gets visibly weaker as I keep firing, and eventually it stops moving entirely.

We meet back up in the center of the clearing, Oda hopping up and down in the throes of an adrenaline rush.

"We did it," she cries happily, "We killed a Death Stalker!"

"I gotta say," Dawn says, "That was a good plan, Galen."

"Thanks," I say, "It was kind of on-the-fly, though."

"It's better than no plan at all," Fred says as we turn and survey the outcome of our battle.

We stand in silence for a few moments before Oda says, "Boss fight complete! Plus one thousand experience!"

We all laugh at her video game reference before we begin to look around.

"So which way's the cliff again?" Fred asks.

I turn to Dawn, and describe the landmarks I saw near the launch pads, knowing there are multiple cliffs in the area. She shoots up a nearby tree, before descending again after a few moments. She relays the direction of the cliff to us and we begin walking.

The rest of the way back to the cliff is uneventful. A few Beowolves or an Ursa here or there, but nothing big. We arrive to see Glynda and Professor Ozpin standing at the edge of the cliff, watching their scrolls.

"Finished," I say, and Ozpin turns to us.

"Ah," he says, "The first pairs have arrived. I believe congratulations are in order. You have the day free until the rest of the teams return. Your induction ceremony will take place this evening. Footage of all the students will be available later this evening, for review and critique."

"Thank you, Professor," the four of us say at the same time, then turn and walk back to the main academy building. On the way, Dawn pulls down her mask and hood, revealing dark red hair that goes down to the small of her back. I barely keep my jaw from dropping at the sight of her face - she is truly beautiful.

"How did you manage to rip that claw off?" she asks, "I mean, I've seen strong people, but nowhere near that level."

"That would be my semblance," I say, "It gives me immense strength, enough that I can lift something as heavy as a small airship. But it takes a lot of energy, and I work out a lot to add a bit more power."

After we clean up from our initiation, I decide to head to the gym. I take a few minutes to look at the equipment they have, and settle for a weighted bag. I drop my gauntlets on the floor and start hitting the bag. I throw various combination of punches, kicks, elbows, and knees for a few minutes before finishing a particularly vicious combination with a side kick, ripping a hole in the bag and spilling sand on the floor.

"Ah, crap," I mutter as I assess the damage. Some other students are looking at me, and I turn to them.

"Can someone get me some tape or something?" I ask. Right then, a roll of industrial-strength tape hits me in the shoulder. I pick it up and turn to see Dawn striding towards me.

"Thanks," I say as I begin patching the bag up, "These things aren't very tough. I didn't even have my gauntlets on, and I was only using my aura to make sure I didn't break any bones."

Dawn silently walks over and helps me fix the bag, which we manage to do in a few minutes.

"Want to go get lunch?" she asks.

"Sure," I say, and I pick up my gauntlets and clip them to my belt. We head town to the dining hall and grab some food, finding an empty table. A few minutes later, Blake sits next to us, followed by the blonde girl from last night.

"Hey, Blake," I say.

"Hey," Blake says.

"You know each other?" the blonde girl asks.

"Yeah," I say, "We met on the airship yesterday. I'm Galen."

"Yang," she says, shaking my hand. I notice the yellow wristbands she's wearing and raise one eyebrow.

"Nice Shot Gauntlets. I assume that means you're good at hand-to-hand."

"Yeah," she says proudly, "One of the best."

"I guess that makes two of us. You want to spar later?"

"Sure," she says as she glances away, "Oh! Hold on a sec. Hey, Ruby! Get over here!"

Yang's redheaded sister, who I now know to be Ruby, walks over and sits down, followed by Weiss.

"Hey, Weiss," I say, "How'd it go?"

"It went well," she says, "Ruby, Blake, Yang and I took down a Nevermore."

"Nice. We got a Death Stalker. Me, Dawn here, and a couple others."

"Really? Pyrrha did too. She had help from Jaune and some people named Ren and Nora."

"Cool," I say, "Oh, I forgot to introduce Dawn."

"I can do it myself," she says indignantly, "I may be quiet but I'm not mute." I raise my hands in submission, and the others laugh.

"Well," she says, turning to the group, "Now that that's done... I'm Dawn Grayson. The moron next to me is Galen Freeman, for the few here who don't already know him."

"Hey, now that's just mean," I say, causing the others to laugh again.

"I'm Yang Xiao Long," Yang says, "This is Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna. Nice to meet you."

"Same," Dawn says.

"Would you happen to be related to the people who own that one gun company?" Ruby asks.

"Yeah," I say, "My mom and dad are the owners."

"Wow," Ruby says, "You must have seen a lot of cool weapons."

"You like weapons?" I ask.

"It's a bit of an obsession," Yang says, earning a glare from her sister, "What? It's true."

"I bet you'll like this," I say as I pull out my gauntlets and slide them on. "Just gauntlets, right?"

I convert them to their knife forms, then to their pistol forms, then to their silenced forms. "You like?" I ask, grinning at Ruby's look of awe.

"Yeah," she says, "Those things are cool."

"Yeah, these things are pretty much 'kill what you want, how you want'. What about your weapon?"

"A scythe," she grins, "It has a sniper rifle built in."

"Nice," I say, "Scythes take serious skill."

"What do you have, Dawn?" Ruby asks.

"A compound bow," she says, "It collapses for easy storage, and I have arrows of all kinds. Poison, tranquilizer, acid, explosive, you know."

"Wait," I say, "If you have explosive arrows, why didn't you use them during the initiation?"

"I didn't bring them," she explains, "I didn't expect to run into a Death Stalker. Although I probably should from now on."

"Yeah," I say, "The universe always hits you with the thing you're least prepared for, so you need to be ready for anything."

"Speaking of unprepared, take a look at this," Dawn says as she stands up and pulls up her hood and mask. She shimmers slightly, then fades into invisibility. The others gasp as she reappears on the other side of the table, and I simply grin.

"It's my semblance," she says, "I can hold it for up to ten minutes, but it took a lot of practice. It's almost like working out, except instead of building muscle I'm decreasing the amount of energy it takes."

By this point most of us have finished our food, and Weiss speaks up.

"I think it's best we go get our books. It will be easier than running around at the last minute tomorrow morning."  
"Good idea," I say.

"Attention," a voice says over the loudspeakers, "The initiation has been completed. All students and faculty are to report to the auditorium immediately."

"Guess the books are gonna have to wait," Ruby says.

We clear off our table and start jogging towards the auditorium. We arrive and sit down in one of the rows on the left side of the room. Thankfully there isn't a speech at the beginning, as Professor Ozpin simply starts listing off names. I zone out for a minute, watching groups of four walk up to the stage and back down after a few moments.

"Galen Freeman, Dawn Grayson, Frederic Hall, Oda Jenkins."

Hearing my voice called, I stand up and walk onto the stage, then clasp my hands behind my back.

"The four of you retrieved the black knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Gold, led by... Galen Freeman!"

My eyes widen a bit, and Ozpin gives me a knowing smile. My teammates and I turn and exit the stage, and people congratulate me as I walk by. We sit down as Ozpin calls on the next group, which he dubs Team Cardinal. Next up is Pyrrha's group, which I learn includes Jaune, and the orange-haired girl and black-haired boy I saw when I woke up. He names them team Juniper, with Jaune as the leader. He seems surprised, and I laugh when a playful punch from Pyrrha sends him crashing to the floor.

The final team is Blake, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang. Ozpin names them Team Ruby, and makes Ruby the leader. Yang runs over and embraces her sister, and Blake is smiling, but Weiss looks a bit shocked.

The ceremony concludes, and everybody files out of the auditorium, congratulating each other. We head towards a group of staff members, who guide us through the process of getting settled in - picking up uniforms and books, finding our rooms, and so on. An hour later, I lie on my bed in my team's room, as the others get ready to go to sleep.

"Hey," Dawn says as she collapses on the bed next to mine.

"Hey," I say.

"So," Oda says, "Heck of a first day."

"Yeah," Fred says, "Tell me about it. Man, that Death Stalker... Don't think I've fought anything that tough before."

"Me neither," Oda says.

"I think we should get to sleep," I say, "Early day tomorrow, don't want to miss class or anything."

"Good idea," Oda says, "Good night, guys!"

We each say good night to each other and I turn the lights out. Fred and Oda start snoring almost immediately, and Dawn rolls around a bit before finally drifting off. I find my vision growing black, and soon sleep envelops me.


End file.
